Safety cover latch for dictating machine



Feb. 9, 1960V M. H. LANGE SAFETY covER LATCH FOR DICTATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 21, 1957 WEEE INVENTOR.

MF1 v H. LHNGE F1' T TORNE'Y Feb. 9v 1960 l M. H. LANGE SAFETY COVER LATCH FCR DICTATINC MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1957 2 Sheefts7-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MPIX H. HA/5E HTTORNEY United States ,PatCfQF SAFETY COVER LATCH FOR DICTATING MACHINE Max H. Lange, Pine Orchard, Conn., assignor to The Sonndscriber Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporatlon of Connecticut Application November 21, 19157, Serial No. 697,853

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-128) This invention relates to' lat-ch mechanisms and is directed particularly to an improved latch for use in instrument cases having hinged or separable cover portions. The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved latch mechanism of the character described, which may be released by the manual-turning of a latchactuating member, and which can be latched merely by closing the cover portion of the case.

Another object is to provide a spring-actuated latch mechanism of the character described wherein the spring and latching member are integrally formed from a single strip of metal. l

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch mechanism of the above nature which is simple in construction, easy to assemble, low in cost, compact, ornamental in appearance, and efficient and long wearing in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.` In the drawings, which illustrate o'ne form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rectangular dictating machine cabinet having a pair of movable cover portions, to which latch mechanisms according to the invention are applied for removably securing said cover portions in p ace,

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the cabinet shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a partial rear end view of the same,

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sectional views taken along the -lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating details of the latch mechanism embodying the invention,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 o'f Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows, the mechanism being shown in latched condition,v

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the latch in unlatched or open condition,

. Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of the unitary springlatch o'f the latch mechanism, shown by itself,

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the interiitting relation of the latch plate and the latch cover, and

Fig. l1 is a front elevational view of the latch cover shown by itself.

Referring now in ydetail to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally a rectangular metal case, which may contain electrical recording and repro'ducing equipment, for example, and which comprises a case bottom 11 having a low front wall 12 and a high back wall 13 interjoined at each side by side walls 14 which are upwardly inclined from front to back.

latch housing 22 is shownsecuredto the frontwal121 ^Ii'atented Feb. 9, 1960,.

Complemental to the casebottom 11 is acover assembly comprising a detachable front cover member 15, a center section 16 and a rear cover member 17, which is hinged at 18 to said center section. The center section 16 is securely assembled to the bottom 11by suitable attachment means, not illustrated.

Secured to the front cover member 15, and extending somewhat rearwardly thereof, is a ange member 19 adapted to fit under the forward end center section 16 when the front cover is placed in closed position upon the case bottom 11.

A pair of latch mechanisms 20 comprising the invention are assembled to the front wall 21 of the front cover member 15, and to the back wall 13 of the case bottom 11 to allow upward swinging of rear cover member 17 about its hinge 18, or the entire removal of the front cover member 15, thus permitting access to the interior operating mechanism of the instrument contained in the case 10. f

Since the latch mechanisms 20 are identical, only the one assembled to the front wall 21 of the front cover member 15 will be described in detail herein. i

The latch mechanism 20 co'mprises a metal housing 22, rectangular in form, and having a circular central opening 23V (see Fig. 11). The latch housing 22has a pair of bent-over opposed, right-angular side walls 24, which are preferably undercut to provide sharp interior corners 25 (see Fig. 10). For the purpose hereinbelow described, V-shaped slots 26 are cut at an angle intorthe outer corner zones o'f the side walls 24'midway along their length, as best illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.

The latch housing 22 is adapted to be secured in any convenient manner, as by vspot welding,l or by machine screws, against the inside surface of one of the members to be latched. `In Figs. 4 through .7, for example, the

of the fro'nt cover member 15, with the central opening 23 of said latch housing in alignment with a circular opening 27 in said front wall.

Rotatably disposed in the central opening 23 in the latch housing 22, and extending through the opening 27 in the front wall 21 is a latch shaft 28, the inner end of which a at latch member 29 is secured at right angles, with one side thereo'f in close proximity to the inner wall surface of said latch housing.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, the latch member 29 is formed with a centrally located substantially rectangular slot 30 in which the inner end of the latch shaft 28 is secured, and has a latch portion 31 extending radially therefrom. The latch portion 31 is formed at its outer end with a sidewardly-extending nose portion 32 having an inwardlyinclined rounded outer edge surface 33, and an outwardlyinclined inner edge surface 34.

The latch member 29 is also provided with an integrally formed curved narrow spring portion 35 generally concentric with the central slot 30, and having a straight outer extremity 36 extending generally in the direction of the latch portion 31, but diverging therefrom at a slight angle. The latch member 29 is preferably formed of resilient steel so that the po'rtion 35 thereof will act as a torsion spring. The side of latch member 29 opposite the extremity 36 is formed with an abutment portion 37 which is adapted to rest against the inner surface of one of the side walls 24 of the latch housing 22 when assembled thereto, (see Fig. 7) while the outer edge surface of the opposite 'extremity 36 of the spring portion 35 is inwardly constrained to bear resiliently against the inner surface of the other side wall 24 of the latch housing 22.

Means is provided for holding the latch member 29, together with its latch shaft 28, in assembled relation with respect to the latch housing 22, the same comprising 'aflat latch cover 38 (see Figs; 4, 6, and 10), which is provided With a pair of inwardly-inclined, opposed side walls39 adapted to iit snugly over the outer surfaces of tlefSide lwalls 24 of the latch housing 22.

The ote'r edges of the side walls 39, midway along their length, are indented as indicated at 40 (see Fig. l to provide small inwardly-extending protrusions 41 which t within the respective V-shaped slots 26 of the latch housing 22` for resiliently holding the latch cover 38 in assembled relation therewith. When so assembled, the inner surface of the latch cover 38 will be in closelyspaced disposition with respect to the inner end o'f the latch shaft 28, said inner end normally projecting slightly beyond the outer surface of the latch member 29.

Secured upon the outwardly-extending end of the latch shaft 28 lin any convenient manner, is a wing-shaped control knob 42, said knob being spaced from the front wall 21 of the 'fro'nt cover member 15 by a washer 43. I vFixed against the inner surface of the front wall 12 of the case bottom 11 is a hook member 44 cooperatively disposed with respect to the latch member 29. Thehook member 44 has a base portion 45 which is secured against the interior surface of the front wall 12, and an o'utwardly-ektending rectangular lug portion 46 under which the nose portion 32 of the latch member 29 is operative to hook, when the latch is in closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

The latched member can only be unhooked, for releasing the front cover member 15, by manually turning the control lknob 42 clockwise against the torsional resilience of the spring portion 35 of the latch member 29, by va small angle suflicient to move the nose portion 32 of said latch member out from under the lug portion 46 of the hook member 44. e

Upon forcing the cover member 15 vinto closed position again, with respect td the case bottom 11, the in- 'clinield outer edge surfacev 33 of the nose portion 32 of the llatch member 29 will react againstthe upper edge of the lug portion 46 of the hook member 44 to cause swinging of said latch member 29 against the force of the spring portion 35, thereby effecting auto'matic latching. It will be understood that the inclination of the inner edge surface 34 of the nose portion 32 is made great enough to allow free latching under the lug portion 46 of the hook memberh44, while not allo'wing automatic unlatching upon upward pulling of the cover member 15.

While there is described vand illustrated herein a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is presented by way of illustration only, and that various omission's, or changes in the arrangement of parts, as well as the Ysubstitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

.Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed jas new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is: n n

In a cabinet, a base, a co'ver therefor, a hook member secured toAsaid base, a latch member secured to said cover and having a beveled nose for engaging said hook member, a shaftnrigidly connected with said latch member and having a control knob to4 permit said shaft to be manually twisted to` move said latch member to open position, a housing for said latch member mounted on said cover and having a pair` of depending anges, said latch member having an integral arcuate spring portion concentric with said shaft and having a straight extremity engaging one flange of said housing, the other tiange of said housing forming an abutment for the opposite end of said latch member when said cover is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,603,301 Wood oct. 19, 1926 1,965,809 Ross July 10, 1934 1,995,775 Moore a Mar. 2,6, 1935 2,712,464 Collar et al. July 5, 1955 

